Lanzhou 🔥

Key data

Items shown in Chinese are kept from the original Chinese source; no English name is available yet.

Landmarks

City Overview

• Lanzhou is a city in Gansu, offering local culture, cuisine and everyday Chinese life.

History

• History: Lanzhou's urban history dates back to the Western Han dynasty, when the court established Jincheng Commandery here; the alias "Jincheng" (Golden City) is still in use today. As a key town on the ancient Silk Road, Lanzhou was an important relay station for merchants traveling between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, and in successive dynasties it served as a military and political stronghold of the Longyuan region. The Yellow River Iron Bridge, completed in the late Qing dynasty, spans both banks and is one of the earliest iron bridges over the Yellow River, having become a city landmark. In modern times, Lanzhou gradually developed into an industrial and transportation hub of the northwest, and today it is the political, economic, and cultural center of Gansu Province. Its geography of two mountains flanking a river gives the city a unique setting nestled between hills and water.

Culture

• Culture: Lanzhou sits at the crossroads of many ethnic groups, and its food culture is distinctive. Beef noodles are prized for being clear, white, red, and green—a bowl of noodles in the morning is an unshakable habit for Lanzhou locals. The Yellow River has nourished a unique Yellow River culture, and drifting on sheepskin rafts is a long-standing watercraft skill of the Yellow River. The Lanzhou dialect belongs to Northwestern Mandarin, with a bold and straightforward tone. Folk arts such as the Taiping Drum and Lanzhou Guzi are passed down through generations, and Spring Festival shehuo performances are lively and festive. Lanzhou gourd carving uses a needle instead of a brush, carving a myriad of scenes onto tiny gourds—a famous fingertip craft. The city is also steeped in literary culture thanks to the magazine Reader.

Science & Technology

• Science and Technology: Lanzhou is a key center of education and research in northwest China, home to Lanzhou University and other universities and research institutes. It ranks among the nation's leaders in nuclear science, heavy-ion physics, and cold and arid region environmental research. Institutions such as the Institute of Modern Physics and the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are based here and have produced a series of major achievements. In recent years, Lanzhou has leveraged its educational and research strengths to develop new materials, biomedicine, and other industries. The construction of Lanzhou New Area has created a new platform for technological innovation, and the city's innovative vitality continues to grow.

Economy

• Economy: In 2025, Lanzhou's GDP reached 390.361 billion yuan. Lanzhou is an important petrochemical base in China, with a deep foundation in refining and chemical industries, and sizable heavy industries such as equipment manufacturing and nonferrous metallurgy. As a transportation hub in northwest China, Lanzhou has a developed trade and logistics sector and serves as a key corridor linking the interior with the western regions. In recent years, Lanzhou New Area has developed rapidly, with emerging industries such as new materials, biomedicine, and big data gradually growing, while tourism driven by the Yellow River Scenic Line and the specialty food industry have also added vitality to the economy.

Climate